Saskatchewan unveils official portrait of former premier Brad Wall at Legislature

Former premier Brad Wall has taken his place next to the previous leaders of Saskatchewan.

Wall’s official portrait was unveiled in the rotunda of the Legislative Building in Regina on Wednesday.

“I really loved it. I liked it. It’s weird to look at a picture of yourself,” Wall said. “I like the light in it. A lot of portraiture … it’s a little dark. I liked the light he could evoke from his work.”

The portrait was completed over a two-year span by Canadian artist Phil Richards, who also painted the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.

Wall said Richards put a lot of care into not only the painting, but also into getting to know the then-premier and what he liked in his personal life.

The official portrait of former premier Brad Wall was unveiled on Nov. 30, 2022. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

“We chatted for a long time and he did ask a lot of questions – what are you interested in, and what sports do you like? He wanted to go for a ride in that old car – my 1967 Dodge Coronet 500 – and then he wanted to paint it in there,” Wall said. “That was longer than the sitting.”

In the portrait, Wall is depicted in the premier’s office surrounded by meaningful objects as well as photos of his family, and is holding a copy of the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth.

And while the painting process was underway, Wall said he had some concerns for the artist’s safety.

“He wanted to get that angle right, so I remember I was kind of worried for Phil because he had ladders and he was climbing up and taking some camera shots as well. He was hanging off the ladder and I thought we had a potential lawsuit about to happen, or an occupational health and safety issues in the premier’s office,” Wall said.

First elected as the MLA for Swift Current in 1999, Wall served as the province’s 14th premier from 2007 until his retirement from politics in 2018. A painting of scenery near Swift Current is visible over his shoulder in the portrait.

The painting is to be displayed in the Saskatchewan Gallery as part of the Legislative Building Art Collection. According to a statement by the provincial government, the collection is comprised of more than 200 pieces, including portraits, busts, sculptures, murals and photographs that show Saskatchewan’s journey and growth as a province.

“I hope they remember leadership that had this unequivocal and unshakable belief in the province that we could grow,” Wall said. “We would judge ourselves and collective confidence in the province of if we were under a million (citizens) or if we could stay over a million – we will never have that debate again.

“A lot of that is due to the blessing of providence, and maybe the timing and good luck, but a lot of it was intentional.”